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Save Green by Going Green

Although they have received little attention, some state and local police departments in
the United States and abroad are making concerted efforts to reduce their environmental
impact. Some of the changes are internal while others are mandates from above. Whether
part of wider government initiatives or the result of an innovative department’s
enthusiasm, moves to “go green” can build morale, improve the community’s view of the
department, and even save money. At a time when cities and states are facing serious
budget cuts or deficits, every agency should be making a concerted effort to save green
by going green.

Transportation reform seems an obvious place to start. Police most frequently protect
their communities through patrol, but a typically loaded Crown Victoria may average
only 13 miles per gallon. That hurts the environment and the budget. For this reason,
many departments are experimenting with alternative ways to patrol. Hybrid patrol cars
are a seemingly obvious option, although they are not without disadvantages. A major
criticism of hybrid patrol cars is their lack of speed (topping out at about 120 mph), and
that at highway speeds they are running on their traditional combustion engines.
Nevertheless, hybrids can be remarkably efficient in high-traffic areas; when running on
their batteries they use no fuel. Westwood (New Jersey) purchased the East Coast’s first
hybrid patrol vehicle in 2007. The department estimates a $21,000 yearly savings in fuel
costs; at approximately $29,000 for the vehicle, the hybrid paid for itself in just 15
months. The department estimates that if each local police department in New Jersey (a
high-volume, heavy traffic state all around) purchased one hybrid, the state could save
$11 million in one year.1

Often touted for being community friendly, another eco-friendly transportation
alternative is the bike patrol. Bicycles are not only green but also much more
maneuverable in crowds and tight spaces. The San Antonio (Texas) Police Department
uses bicycles to patrol their downtown and Riverwalk areas. The department proudly
reports a statistically safer downtown. Bike patrols also foster a greater sense of
community as officers on bicycles are less distant than those in cruisers. Children on
bicycles are more likely to identify with an officer on a bicycle and will therefore be
likelier to view law enforcement in a positive light.

Electric-powered scooters are yet another green patrolling vehicle. Scooters like the 2-wheeled
Segway and 3-wheeled T-3 are compact green machines that are available with a
siren and red and blue flashing lights and can sustain 25 to 30 mph. The Dade City
(Florida) Police Department uses a T-3 and another small electric vehicle called a GEM
to patrol the downtown area as well as the nearby Hardy Trail, a paved recreational path.
These small electric vehicles are ideal for patrolling long recreational paths because they
offer faster, more consistent speed than bicycles.2 As an added benefit, the unusual
appearance and greater proximity of these vehicles greatly increases awareness of police
presence, which makes the community feel safer.3

Green facility construction can be a way to reap long-term benefits. Some cities may
follow the example of Tucson (Arizona), which has installed solar arrays on a number of
municipal buildings in the last decade, including the city’s joint public safety training
academy.Tucson is one of 25 Solar America Cities that is working in partnership with
the U.S. Department of Energy (www.solaramericacities.energy.gov) to accelerate the adoption of
solar energy technologies at the local level through public-private partnerships.

The city of Toronto (Canada) just recently built a police headquarters with an extremely
innovative air conditioning system. Deep Lake Water Cooling is a replacement for
traditional air conditioning that takes cold water from deep in Lake Ontario, moves it to
Toronto city center, then captures the energy transfer that occurs when the water warms
naturally. The lake water itself is not used; it continues its usual journey to the city’s
pumping station where it enters the Toronto water supply. According to a city-sponsored
case study, the technology reduces the electricity used to cool a building by 90 percent
and uses fewer dangerous refrigerants that harm the ozone layer of the atmosphere.4
Police departments in the United States from Cambridge (Massachusetts)5 to Fort
Collins (Colorado)6 are building Silver and Gold LEED certified stations. Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards encompass “six major areas of
building construction: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere,
materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design
process.”7

Some of the easiest and cheapest ways to go green and save are small efforts like double-
sided printing and agency-wide recycling initiatives. Such efforts build a culture of
sustainability and save on basic costs. Police officers in Wellington (New Zealand)8 and
Montreal (Canada)9 have also been asked to reduce waste in their personal lives by
recycling more and minimizing car use. From an environmental standpoint the ultimate
goal of all these initiatives is to create a trickle-down effect. If police officers have green
habits at work they will be more inclined to adapt them in their personal lives. As
representatives and protectors of the community, police with an environmentally
conscious attitude will encourage similar efforts by the general public. Law enforcement
can show that environmental efforts are not about high-cost, low-benefit reform, but efficient
cost-effective adaptation.

-Meghan Burns
Special ContributorThe COPS Office

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Is your agency involved in green initiatives? The COPS Office may be
interested in learning more about environmentally friendly policies affecting law
enforcement. Contact the editor of the Dispatch at CPDispatch@usdoj.gov if you would
be interested in sharing your experiences with us.

7---. "Moab City Center Achieves Silver LEED; More than 95% of the Original Historical Structural and
Shell Elements in the 70-Year-Old Building were Maintained Throughout the Renovation, Along
with More than 25% of the Interior Elements of the Original Building." Intermountain Contractor
March 1 2008: 10.

9Lalonde, Michelle, and The Gazette. "The Other 364 Days, 23 Hours; Local Governments are Playing
Key Roles in the Global Fight Against Climate Change as Hundreds of Cities are Doing what is in
their Power to Reduce Harmful Emissions. What about Montreal?" The Gazette (Montreal) March 28
2009, sec. NEWS: A4.